Your Morning Dump… Where Rondo’s all grow’d up (Part 2)

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

If Rondo is sincere when he acknowledges his need to change and grow, then the teams that have shied away from him in trade talks will feel like genuine fools in the coming years.

But for now, there remains a cloud over Rondo’s reputation around the NBA. It is a cumulonimbus formation that, deserved or not, is the reason the New Orleans Hornets were willing to accept a pocketful of mumbles in exchange for Chris Paul. An All-Star point guard and various other Celtics merchandise were not good enough.

The whispers that trailed Rondo out of Kentucky still are in his NBA wake. His intellect and heart are unquestioned, but there are times when he leaves on a temperamental journey — when his internal drive is unleashed on others with destructive force.

“I’ve got to take myself out of the equation,” Rondo said the other day. “It’s about the team. I’ve been saying all I want to do is win a championship, so I have to live it. I have to walk it. I can’t just talk it. I know I have to be better

This is a tremendous read. It includes some very good insight into the Rondo trade rumors. The story about Rondo cursing out teammates and smashing a TV with a bottle during a film session after the first two playoff losses to Miami is damning. Rondo's personality has long been part of the problem as much as it has been part of what make him great.

But people have a tendency to forget the human aspect. I'll venture to say all of us are guilty of it at some point. We look at these players as names and numbers… sprites on a screen that magically only exist when we decide to tune in. We forget the human beings behind the numbers.

Rajon Rondo will turn 26 in February. This is about the time in life when a certain level of maturity starts to set in. A maturity that says this:

“I’m not going to point the fingers on anybody,” Rondo said. “Any relationship problems I have with anybody on the team or anybody on the coaching staff, I have to do better as a player and as a leader. You know, I didn’t ask for this role, but it’s part of it — for one, being a point guard, for two, the way I play. So I just have to embrace it better. Each year I think I’m getting better. I may have my incidents, but each year I think I’ve handled criticism a lot better, I’ve been a lot more patient, and I think I’ve grown. KG actually came up to me and told me he was proud of me at how mature I’ve seemed in the first few days. But it’s not just two days; it’s going to have to be consistent throughout the season. That’s what P (captain Paul Pierce) told me the other day: You can’t pick and choose when you’re going to be a leader. You have to do it every day. That’s the biggest thing for me. It’s not just in the games, it’s in practice and in shootarounds in the morning. . . . I’m the first guy out there that people are looking at. You know, I’ve got the ball, so if I’m going to lollygag, then it’s like, OK, well, we’ve got the day off. That can’t be.

“There can’t be any inconsistency about that as far as in my game this year. And there won’t be, because I’ve embraced that role. All eyes are on me, and I’m OK with that.”

I'll ask you (or those of you to which this applies)… do you want to be judged for the rest of your life by your actions as a 24 year old? Do you want your reputation coming out of college to be a part of your permanent record?

Or have you grown? Have you matured? And isn't it possible that what we're hearing and seeing from Rondo stems from some realization that he was, as Felger so eloquently put it, a prick at times?

The last time I posted that headline, a prominent blogger tweeted it out and added "this has the potential to be hilarious." If the Rondo that showed up to camp reverts back to the Rondo of the past, then it might for those who derive pleasure from Celtics' failure.

But this also has the potential to be awesome. Because if this Rondo is the beginning of a more mature leader, then he will be the cornerstone of a franchise that can reload after this year rather than rebuild.

On Page 2: Paul Pierce explains how Kevin Durant kept him on the Celtics for life

“To be honest, I think a lot of things hinged on that draft,” he reflected. “My loyalty or no loyalty, if Kevin Durant gets picked, I probably wouldn’t be here. Even though as much as Danny said he wanted to see that combination — because we talked about it, we even talked about the scenarios and he was like, ‘I want to see you guys play together’ — I thought that would have been a perfect chip for them to move forward without me because then you’d have Al Jefferson, Perkins, and then you would’ve had Kevin Durant.

“And so things kind of just fell into place when that didn’t happen, when we didn’t get that pick. I knew when we didn’t get that pick I probably would be here for the long run because the people that we got, I knew we would trade it for something better.”

People tend to forget how close Pierce was to being out of here. Read the rest of that link and you'll see how Pierce was convinced after that draft to stick around rather than demand a trade.

Paul Pierce has elevated himself in our eyes, and he's finallly starting to get a bit more respect around the rest of the league (once you get past the wheelchair jokes). But in 2005, he was at his lowest point as a Celtic. He came out to do an interview with a fake bandage on his head and the C's had just lost to the Pacers in the playoffs.

I bring that up not to re-live the past, but to re-enforce the notion that people mature. Pierce did, and so can Rondo.

This is another must-read. Especially because it ends with:

“To be here, it’s like how can you leave this?” he said, gazing around the gym. “All this history, all the great players, all the great teams, it would have been tough for me to even leave this knowing that I’m a part of Celtic lure. … If you can win anywhere in the NBA, why wouldn’t you want to stay here and win?”

Wow. You totally gave Rondo a pass for throwing a ridiculous tantrum during the playoffs! He threw a bottle and smashed a TV during a meeting and we are supposed to believe he’s all grown up and suddenly past this?

http://profile.typepad.com/mannoperry Perry Manno

Let’s keep in mind RR was given the keys to the Mercedes, and even at a young tender age was mature enough to guide this team to a championship. So what happened? Doc put more trust in him and he abused it. Then he started pouting and launching tantrums when things started going wrong. That’s not leadership and one of the reasons why he’s consistently mentioned in trades. Can we honestly say the next generation of Celtics should be built around him? Hopefully he’s smart enough to understand controlling these childish outbursts is not only detrimental to the team … it also undercuts his value as a marquee player. In my book a leopard doesn’t change his spots, so here’s my acid test. Shows us more consistency from the field and free throw line because in the end the skill set will determine whether his petulance is worth keeping him a Celtic.

http://profile.typepad.com/trsjr91 BleedGreen34

i was talking about rondo to somebody else and I want to know if anyone agrees with what I am saying, also if you do agree then do you think its more the coach’s fault or rondo’s fault but here’s what I said
His shooting skills is one thing. I’ve watched alot of the celtic games over the past few years and the key to rondo’s game is speed and quinckenss with in all aspects of his game specially in transition and especially attacking the hoop. The problem however with him is that he is great in transition but he is constantly slowing down the offense when he recieves the ball and walks the ball up the court wasting precious shot clock and letting opposing defenses get set.Even tommy heinsohn during games will point out how rondo slows down the ball and walks it up when he should just get the ball sprint down the court attack. Rondo’s best assest is attacking the hoop, however if he refueses to finish where in the last few years he’s been getting into funks of passing it off instead of finishing strong at the hoop there’s really no reason for team’s to defend him. This could either be on the coaches for not correcting the problems or rondo for being stubborn I don’t know. Anyway by not defending him he put’s all the other players job that much harder by having an extra defender on them while also not getting free because rondo never demands double teams. These problems I would much rather fix because there much easier fixes than his shooting skill which is obviously very bad but giant room for improvement. Rondo needs to get the ball and sprint everytime up the court and get 3on2 or 2on1 if they are there and actually finish at the hoop and if its not there just pull it out ( I know finishing at the hoop is something hard to ask for because he doesn’t shoot foul shots well because so he is timid but it has to be done or else teams will always play the pass)

http://profile.typepad.com/viva2811 viva

As I recall, that slowing down was waiting for others to get in their positions, I think Doc actually said that. So neither.
And for this peace, I do believe he’ll mature, why wouldn’t he? He’s aware of his actions, and he’s intelligent enough to correct his mistakes.

http://profile.typepad.com/the_bantam the_bantam

Rondo has 4 years to ‘grow up’, and he is motivated, and it won’t happen overnight. In other words, if he wants to hit his pay day he has to out play his contract, get traded and sign an extension. Or he has to out play it, so he gets a bigger one at the end of 4 years.
I genuinely believe he has what it takes and will be a force in the NBA. I actually believe his best assets to be his passing and his lobs, and we have nobody on the team that dominates the receiving end of a cut to the hoop or an alley-oop. So I think we have yet to see a cast that showcases Rondo’s best talents.

http://profile.typepad.com/paulmkane2001 Paulmkane2001

Even this article points out that Doc has also been part of the problem, subjecting Rondo to tirades.

http://profile.typepad.com/paulmkane2001 Paulmkane2001

Absolutely. The single biggest problem with the Celtics is the way they slow the ball down. I understand why they do it, but they do it far too much.

http://profile.typepad.com/paulmkane2001 Paulmkane2001

Wake up. The way the Celtics slow the ball down crushes their offense. Period. It’s not even arguable. They slow it down way too much. So what you are saying is that it is Doc’s fault.

http://profile.typepad.com/paulmkane2001 Paulmkane2001

It’s amazing what Rondo has accomplished running a team that won’t run, when he is best suited to a running team

http://profile.typepad.com/mannoperry Perry Manno

can we agree on anything???

http://profile.typepad.com/the_bantam the_bantam

Yup. I’m not saying the Big 3 are hindering him either. Just that Rondo has been an on-the-break PG since HS, same at UK, and has had to adapt his game big time for the C’s offensive sets. Put him with some slashers in addition to some bigs that can box out for an oop, (KG in ’06-7), and we’ll really see how much talent he can bring.
Playing with the Big 3 is tremendous experience, even as he goes through these growing pains. And he’s learning to play with different styles of offense. An in 2012 WHEN Rondo is still here, DA will bring in slashers that will FEAST on the Rondo feeds. FEAST!!!

http://profile.typepad.com/viva2811 viva

Darling, you misunderstood me, I wrote Doc said that Rondo was waiting for the team to get in place, as in his defense, but I also wrote as the answer to the question is it Rondo’s or Doc’s fault, neither. Next time read more carefully, please, I would appreciate it.